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teigne

ringworm

noun TEN-yuh Rare
Body & Health Health & Illness

Also means

nasty person

Usage Note

Teigne is a fungal skin infection (ringworm or tinea) in its medical sense. Colloquially it is a strong insult meaning a spiteful, nasty person — quelle teigne ! ('what a nasty piece of work!'). The feminine grammatical gender applies to the noun regardless of who is being insulted.

Examples

"Ce voisin est une vraie teigne."

Natural Translation

That neighbour is a real nasty piece of work.

Literal Translation

That neighbour is a real ringworm.

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